Concealed combination hinge, opening and closing, and limit stop device for doors



NOV. 21, 1939. SCHRQEDER AL 2180,5552

CONCEALED COMBINATION HINGE, OPENING AND CLOSING,

AND LIMIT STOP DEVICE FOR DOORS I Filed Oct. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. LAWRENCE E. SIZHRIJEDERY- FELIX WEIGHUSKL @ATTORNEY LAWRENCE ELSIIHRIIIEDERQ -FELIX WEIIGHDSKI.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCEALED COMBINATION HINGE, OPEN- ING AND CLOSING,

VICE FOR DOORS AND LIMIT STOP DE- Lawrence R. Schroeder, Lakewood, and Felix W.

Cichoski, Cleveland,

Ohio, assignors to The Cleveland Cooperative Stove Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 23, 1937, Serial No. 170,608

4 Claims.

a side hinged, double-walled door, which device is concealed between the outer and inner walls of the door.

A more specific object is to provide a device of the character described which, when the door is partially opened, swings the door to fully open position, and when the door is partially closed, swings the door to the fully closed position.

Other objects are to provide a simple, compact and inexpensive device for the purposes described.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from the following specification, in which reference is made to the drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a domestic cook- 25 ing range having oven doors equipped with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevation of ,the range with a portion of the outer wall of the left hand oven door removed for more 30 clearlyshowing the hinge in operating'position withinthe door;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the front of the range and left door, and is taken on a plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

For purposes of illustration, the combined hinge, opening and closing means, and limit stop device is shown in connection with a cooking range, indicated generally by the numeral l, which has oven compartments which are closed at the front by doors 2. The doors 2 are arranged to swing outwardly about upright pivotal axes positioned at the ends of the range. Since both doors and their associated devices are the same in operating characteristics, only the left hand one of the doors 2 is described herein in detail.

As better illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the lefthand door 2 is comprised of an inner wall 3 and outer wall 4 spaced therefrom in the customary manner, these walls being spaced apart about one-half to three-quarters inch from each other and insulating material being disposed therebe-- tween. The door 2 terminates at its left margin substantially flush with the left end wall 5 of the range so that the left end of the door forms substantially a continuation of the wall 5 when the door is closed. The inner wall 3 of the door lies substantially against the front wall of the range, only a relatively narrow line being visible between the walls of the range and the door.

In order to maintain a symmetrical and pleasing appearance of the stove while supporting the door for spring opening and closing, the device of the present invention is provided. In the form illustrated, suitable hinge brackets l are connected tothe inner face of the end wall 5 of the range and extend forwardly therefrom. Two hinge brackets l are preferred for each door, one being arranged near the top and one near the bottom. Each of the brackets 1 has a horizontal portion 8 which extends forwardly from the front of the range and endwise of the range from substantially the plane of the inner face of the wall 5 almost to the outer face thereof. The outer end of the portion 8 is provided with a hole 9 through which is received the hinge pivot ID for supporting the door 2.

As near as possible to the left end of the door, between the inner and outer walls 3 and 4 thereof, are mounted hinge elements H, which, with portions I2 of the inner wall .3, define sleeves in which the pivot I0 is accommodated for hingedly supporting the door on the brackets l substantially at the inner left corner of the door. Suitable openings 13 are provided in the wall 3 for affording admission of the portions 8 into the interior of the door.

Pivotally connected to one of the portions ll for swinging movement in a horizontal plane about an upright pivotal axis is an arm 15. The pivotal axis of the connection l6 between the arm and the portion 8 is positioned outwardly in a direction forwardly of the range from the pivot 9. The arm l5 extends from its pivotal connection It in a direction lengthwise of the door 2 for the slots 20, the end of the arm I5 remote from the pivotal connection I6 is free.

Surrounding the free end portion of the arm I5, and interposed between the guide I8 and a suitable spring abutment shoulder 2| on the arm I5, is a coil spring 22. The arm I5 has a portion 23 between its ends and lying between the guides I! and I8 which is offset fiatwise of the metal from the remainder, thus providing the spring abutment shoulder 2| and also a stop shoulder 24. The stop shoulder 24 is positioned between the guides I1 and I8 and near the face of the guide I! which is'on the far side of the guide I! from the hinge connection. The stop shoulder 24 is spaced from the guide IT a distance such that the shoulder 24 moves into abutting relation to the guide I! when the door is in a fully open position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The arm I5, as illustrated, extends outwardly from the pivotal connection I6 to the outer wall 4 and thence therealong toward the opposite end of the door part way of its length. The free end portion of the arm I5 on which the spring 22 is mounted extends diagonally back toward the inner wall 3 of the door 2. The spring 22 is so arranged as to be partially compressed when the door 2 is in closed position. Thus, the force of the spring delivered against the guide I8 is inwardly toward the range, and the reaction on the pivotal connection I6 is directed along a line which is spaced forwardly of the range from the pivot 9. As a result, the force of the spring develops a component which is effective for urging and moving the door into fully closed position. When the door is in a partially open position, the spring is additionally compressed, thus maintaining its effect in urging the door toward closed position. This action continues until the line of reaction force of the spring on the connection I6 is directed along a line through the pivot 9 which is a so-called "dead center position. Upon continued outward movement of the door, the line of reaction of the spring on the connection I6 passes beyond this dead center position, whereupon the relation of the spring to the pivotal axes is reversed so that the reaction force of the spring is directed along a line to the opposite side of the pivot 9. When this changed relationship occurs, the spring urges and moves the door into fully open position. This action continues until the stop shoulder 24 engages the guide I'I. Necessarily, during the openirig and closing of the door, the arm I5 shifts slightly in position between the inner and outer walls 3 and 4, that is, from the position indicated .in solid lines in Fig. 3 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig.3.

As a result of these relations, the compressive stress of the spring is effective both for opening and closing the door, and the door is automatically stopped in proper position. The door cannot be left in a partially open or closed position but must be fully open or fully closed. By increasing the distance between the pivots 9 and I6 in a direction fore and aft of the range, the effect of the spring may be increased in the closing direction of the door so that the desired closing pressure is readily obtained. Thus, there is provided a combination hinge, opening and closing means, and limit stop device, all of which is fully concealed within the door with which the combination is to be associated so as not to destroy the desired appearance of the range'or door structure.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A combination hinge, opening and closing means, and limit stop for a door and comprising a rigid support, means for pivotally connecting a door thereto for swinging movement about a fixed axis, an abutment adapted for connection with the door in fixed position thereon, an arm pivotally connected to said support for pivotal movement about an axis spaced from but parallel with the first axis, said arm extending generally lengthwise from its pivotal connection with said support and being movable endwise relative to the abutment, guide means for guiding said arm, a stop shoulder on the arm, a cooperating limiting abutment adapted for connection to the door and engageable by the shoulder when the arm is in a predetermined position, said arm having an abutment, a compression spring interposed between the first abutment and said arm abutment, and said abutments, pivotal axes, and spring being related so that the line of action of the spring passes from one side to the other side of the first pivotal axis as. the arm is swung in either direction past a predetermined dead center position.

2. A combination hinge, closing means and limit stop for a door comprising a rigid support having a hinge member arranged for pivotally supporting a door for swinging movement about a fixed axis, an arm pivotally connected to the support for swinging movement about another axis, the pivotal axis of the arm being spaced from the said fixed axis, and having a relatively free end portion, means on the. door and having an abutment shoulder, an abutment shoulder on the arm spaced from the first shoulder in a direction toward the pivotal axes, a compression spring interposed between said shoulders and in stressed abutting relation with both shoulders, and means guiding said arm for concurrent endwise movement and limited lateral movement relative to the abutment shoulder of the door.

3. A combination hinge, closing means and limit stop ,for a door comprising 'a rigid support having a vertically extending pivot arranged for pivotally connecting a door thereto -for swinging movement about said vertical pivot, an arm pivotally connected to the support for swinging about an upright axis, the pivotal axis of the arm being spaced from the said pivot in directions forwardly of the door and endwise toward the opposite end of the door, said arm extending generally lengthwise of the door in a horizontal plane and having its opposite end relatively free, the free end portion of the arm extending in a horizontal plane and diagonally with respect to the door, means on the door for guiding said arm for relative movement endwise and laterally with respect to said means, said means having a shoulder, a shoulder on the arm spaced from the stop shoulder in a direction toward the pivotal axis of the arm, a compression spring interposed between said shoulders and in stressed abutting relation with both shoulders, said arm having another shoulder spaced nearer to the pivot than the first shoulder of the arm, and means on the door and rigid therewith afiording relative passage of a portion of the arm, and said means being arranged for obstructing passage of the last mentioned shoulder when the last mentioned shoulder moves toward said pivot.

4. In a door having a cavity between its front and rear faces, the combination of a hinge mechanism including a support having a portion extending into the cavity, means within the cavity such manner that the spring acts on the door in an over-center position of the arm with respect to the hinge axis to swing the door to open position when the door is partially open, said arm having an abutment operative to engage an abutmentcarried by the door and to stop the door in open position.

LAWRENCE R. SCHROEDER. FELIX W. CICHOSKI. 

